Canberra Raiders front rower Emre Guler has signed a two-year extension to stay with the club until the end of 2023.
Guler has played 22 games for the Green Machine since making his debut in round 23, 2018.
The 23-year-old’s best season came in 2019 which saw him feature in the Raiders Grand Final side. He was also named on the bench for the U23 Junior Australian side.
He began 2020 in strong form as well before a serious ankle injury ended his season after just eight matches.
The signing is tremendous news for the Raiders as they look to secure their future stars.
The young gun is rated by many as a future representative player and was recently part of Brad Fittler’s NSW Blues emerging Origin camp.
Guler said he was looking forward to getting back on the park this season, although acknowledged it will be a challenge to secure a spot in the starting 17.
“I’m really happy to get it done,” said Guler.
“I just want to look forward to training hard and getting myself ready for round one.
“It’s good to get it out of the way and focus on footy now.”
“You look at the [forward pack] on paper, there are such good names there.
“It’s going to be a tough year, there’s a lot of competition and you can just tell that here at training.
“I’m hoping to have a strong trial and put myself in a position to get back into the team.”
Guler will have his chance to impress when the Raiders play the Sydney Roosters in a trial on Saturday 27 February at Seiffert Oval.
Raiders Recruitment and High-Performance Director Peter Mulholland said the re-signing of Guler was a vital part of the club’s retention strategy and he would continue to improve and develop over the next three seasons.
“It’s another great sign for the club to have young players wanting to re-sign and continue their development in Canberra,” Mulholland said.
“We’re still yet to see the best of what Emre can bring on the field and we’re looking forward to seeing him continue to establish himself in the NRL.”
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